During
2003 JerseySeals continued with seal sightings at a number of known
haul-out and other frequented sites, both at offshore reefs and around the coast
of Jersey. There was another extended observation period at one of the reefs.
The website was maintained and regularly updated and refined during the year.
The aim and focus for JerseySeals remained to develop and publish a rationale for an index for the population status of the seal locally - that was not possible during 2003 for reasons beyond the control of JerseySeals.
The intention remains at year end to publish an exploratory article concerning this during 2004 - and to test the feasibility of such an index during 2004 and 2005 - that is 5 and 4 years on from 1999 and 2000, the years of the initial maximum observation effort expended in an attempt to establish the status of seals around Jersey. The JerseySeals 1999 and 2000 dedicated data will become part of that feasibility publication.
It is important to emphasise that there is no expectation to provide a reliable estimate of the absolute numbers of the seal population locally - rather it is the hope to work towards a reproducible index of the relative numbers of seals present from one time to another (perhaps from one month in one year to the same month in other years).
The difficulties of establishing the absolute population numbers at any time, let alone over a year or longer, are fully appreciated.
January
2004 (minor amendments 20.2.04)